1   Next appeared a great portent in heaven, a woman robed with the sun, beneath her feet the moon, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 2   She was pregnant, and in the anguish of her labour she cried out to be delivered. 3   Then a second portent appeared in heaven: a great red dragon with seven heads and ten horns; on his heads were seven diadems, 4   and with his tail he swept down a third of the stars in the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that when her child

The powers of darkness conquered was born he might devour it. 5   She gave birth to a male child, who is destined to rule all nations with an iron rod. But her child was snatched up to God and his throne; 6   and the woman herself fled into the wilds, where she had a place prepared for her by God, there to be sustained for twelve hundred and sixty days.

7   Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels waged war upon the dragon. 8   The dragon and his angels fought, but they had not the strength to win, and no foothold was left them in heaven. 9   So the great dragon was thrown down, that serpent of old that led the whole world astray, whose name is Satan, or the Devil—thrown down to the earth, and his angels with him.

10   Then I heard a voice in heaven proclaiming aloud: ‘This is the hour of victory for our God, the hour of his sovereignty and power, when his Christ comes to his rightful rule! For the accuser of our brothers is overthrown, who day and night accused them before our God. 11   By the sacrifice of the Lamb they have conquered him, and by the testimony which they uttered; ^note for they did not hold their lives too dear to lay them down. 12   Rejoice then, you heavens and you that dwell in them! But woe to you, earth and sea, for the Devil has come down to you in great fury, knowing that his time is short!’

13   When the dragon found that he had been thrown down to the earth, he went in pursuit of the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14   But the woman was given two great eagle's wings, to fly to the place in the wilds where for three years and a half she was to be sustained, out of reach of the serpent. 15   From his mouth the serpent spewed a flood of water after the woman to sweep her away with its spate. 16   But the earth came to her rescue and opened its mouth and swallowed the river which the dragon spewed from his mouth. 17   At this the dragon grew furious with the woman, and went off to wage war on the rest of her offspring, that is, on those who keep God's commandments and maintain their testimony to Jesus.

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